Paper Jewels

Couldn’t resist - the article in Apartment Therapy even called this “The Best DIY Ideas to Steal”. Well…okay! Take a look at this cool use-wallpaper-as-art example:

She’s surrounded the paper with molding to “frame” it. And has lots of other good inspiration-ideas

Meant to post this yesterday for Earth Day but kinda missed…. but this doesn’t need to just be an “Earth Day” idea. Hopefully we can all learn to see with new eyes. To “rethink” - how can we use this? do I need to throw it away to just fill up a landfill, or can I do something totally new with it? And NOT BUY ANYTHING. (Of course I’m all in favor of buying stuff - I’m a retailer - but even I know that we have to learn to buy selectively, to buy only if we need it or we want to give something wonderful to someone we love… you know, the *good* reasons).

Anyway I ran across this picture (sorry didn’t save the link, I was having a leaky brain day) - and am proposing it as a General Idea rather than just a specific. Take a look at this terrific colorful basket:
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These are made from rolled-up newspapers, and I don’t have directions so would be experimenting myself. Roll the newspaper tightly to make tubes - lots of them. Start to coil your basket, securing the coils with cotton string? Clear fishing line, IF you already have some and would not be buying new…. Or, maybe colorful cotton strips torn from an old sheet (okay, cut from an old sheet - sheets are tough and strong!) Or yarn you have anyway? Anything that could be used to “sew” the coils together.

The basket would be lightweight and strong (paper is very very strong in compressed layers). I bet there are lots of adaptations we can think of, using this general idea. Let’s think of more

Aw, this is nice. One of my lines is “your logo on jewelry” (find more info at Weekend Jewelry Logo Jewelry pages and Logo Earrings (and Pendants) and today I’m featured on Cuteable.

I actually did two versions of the Cuteable logo - one with glass, and one with a reclaimed (recycled! yeah!) scrabble tile:

and
They really are cute

Cuteable is super fun to look through anyway, even when I’m not featured You’ll love it, go peek!

I have to laugh at myself - it always takes longer than I think it’s going to, doing updates. So (chip chip chip) we move forward anyway

Here’s a peek:

I’m really happy with this one. The teardrop shape is graceful, and I love the way it looks with the pink quartz and the front toggle closure. Note to self - do more of those. Having the toggle in front is good-looking but even more, it’s easy to put on and easy to wear. Easy is good

I made it specially for Mother’s Day, but honestly necklaces for Mom sell pretty consistently through the year. Which is kind of a nice thought - that sons and daughters like to get their moms something even when it’s not (Hallmark inspired) Mom’s day

Woo hoo! I don’t know details yet but it doesn’t matter - we’ve rescued Captain Phillips!
Check out Drudge Report or Yahoo News.

Back to our regular programming shortly

Another very cool way to add art to your space - use wallpaper

Okay, this is not a new idea. But it’s one worth revisiting. And I recently found a cool pic that shows a great example:

The full directions for how they made it are on SquawFox.com. She actually stretched her wallpaper pieces over artist’s canvas, which makes it a bit more three-dimensional and more “genuine art” (whatever that means!). But you could simply glue the wallpaper onto foam core, or tack it directly to the wall - add a border (paint, ribbon, lath strips, you name it) and you’ve got yourself some framed artwork that can be customized to your exact space and color scheme.

Even better, you could use scraps left in the basement - or use wrapping paper (I know I’ve talked about that before), or make a collage with the wallpaper, or - well, you see where I’m going with this. Everybody can cut and paste. Now everybody can decorate on the cheap

You know I love paper, and sometimes a real, honest-to-goodness paper note is just the thing to send to a friend. Email is fine but you can’t hold it or tuck it in your purse or flourish it when you give it to somebody.

Sometimes you want to send a note, or at least a card, that’s sort of special and a little bit different. I found some totally cute cards I wanted to share. I was going to say “adorable” but that word implies cutesy, and these are cute - but not cutesy. (Maybe that’s a fine distinction but it’s a real one to me!)

If I got this in the mail it would totally give me a smile. And it’s printed on recycled cardstock, which is a (necessary to me) bonus.

She has lots more goodies to check out at her Etsy shop - go look!

I just sent out a man’s necklace to a customer in Matlacha, Florida… I just wish I could hand-deliver it!

Man’s Carved Bone Talon Necklace

Matlacha (pronounced mat-luh-chay) is a small town between Pine Island and Fort Myers, Florida, where I lived for nine years. I love Matlacha. It’s the kind of place that 30 or 40 years ago was a tiny scrabbly fishing village and people there would probably have laughed if you’d said it was ever going to be expensive-ish or (moving) upscale. It’s still not “upscale”, it’s still a village, but it’s kind of funky and fun and they have a great seafood place or three.

Tee shirts and flip flops and not over-developed yet. It’s a really cool place. If somebody was willing to pay the travel expense I’d be happy to hand-deliver. Any time

Wow. I found an incredible artist who works in paper - you won’t believe the intricacy. Take a look:

Intricate Hand-Cut Paper Art by Auyama Hina

My source is Paper Forest, a nifty blog that features paper in many incarnations. Another of her recent features is a fun do-it-yourself box:
- and yes, she includes “how to”s.

Check out her blog - and have fun

Does your mom have a sense of humor (no, really, even if you swear she doesn’t…. she probably does.)

The quote on this pendant is from Phyllis Diller. Don’t worry who that is - she was funny and obnoxious and frankly every parent will agree with this pendant, mostly because it’s true

Reclaimed Scrabble Tile Pendant with Funny Mom Quote

And - here’s the kicker - these scrabble tile pendants are not only eco friendly-ish (they were thrown-away tiles and now they’re being used and enjoyed) - but the pendant (with complimentary chain) is very very inexpensive. You can actually afford this. So you won’t get a guilt trip from mom. You might even get a hug. For, you know, once in a while when you actually want one.